


Paying it Back.

by pukingrainbows233



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 05:22:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12292167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pukingrainbows233/pseuds/pukingrainbows233
Summary: Archie does his best to make it up to Betty.





	Paying it Back.

**Author's Note:**

> I made this little barchie fic aye. This happens few days after the episode when Grundy gets busted by Alice. I re-edited this and posted it again. A friend of mine helped haha.

**_Betty_ **

Betty is still trying to make sense of everything, and when she does her mind only wanders more. Her dad told her of the long-time feud between their family and the Blossoms and she discovered that he took down the sheriff’s murder map, and on top of all of that, she suspects that Jason probably intended to marry Polly. She strolls through the hallways of the school with a blank expression on her face. She had a few theories but there was one that stood out.

It was possible that the Blossoms found out about their affair and conspired to harm Polly but Jason found out and so he urged Polly to run away with him. But where do her parents enter the picture? Maybe they planned it together with the Blossoms? Or the Blossoms didn't pursue any plans and her parents targeted Jason instead? She doubts that her parents would do the dirty work themselves so what if they hired someone? So many questions.

Digging one suspicion deeper after another, her blurry awareness of anyone passing through stops when she bumps into someone, waking her from her thought coma. 

"Hey B, Are you okay?" a familiar voice asks with a hint of worry.

It was Veronica, one eyebrow raised. Betty shakes her head and forces a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry,” Betty's smile widens. Veronica positions herself next to her as they walk through the hallway.

"Are you sure? I've been calling you like five times already and you were completely stuck in Twilight Zone," Veronica says putting a hand on her shoulder out of concern.

"I was just… distracted." Betty offers another smile. Betty tried to shut her mind off from everything: Jason's murder, school, Archie, everything.

 “Well, we’re having lunch outside. Wanna come with?”

They sat down by the bleachers and Betty took out her packed lunch. She takes a sip from her water bottle. Archie was beside her, engaged in a conversation with Veronica and Jughead. She wasn't even sure what they were talking about. She bites off a chunk from her sandwich and watches the students wandering about the grounds.

"Archie, you wanna hang out at my place later? Jughead and I are gonna watch some movies he saved from the drive-in.” Veronica asks Archie.

Jughead interjects, “Yeah, tonight I’m thinking Rebel Without a Cause meets—“

"I can't. I already have plans with someone," Archie says apologetically.

"And who is this 'someone’?" Jughead asks, teasing.

"Why do you always have to start something?" Archie says jokingly. "It’s Betty."

Betty wasn't listening to the conversation so much until she notices the silence and looks up.

"What?" she asks plainly.

"You're going with me after school right?" Archie asks. She knots her eyebrows in confusion.

"I am?" Betty replies, still confused. Did she have plans with Archie today? She can't remember.

"You forgot didn't you?" Archie guesses, smiling a little.

Her eyes widen in embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry, Archie. I can’t believe I forgot,” Betty says. She was thinking too much lately she even forgot she had plans with the Archie Andrews.

"Betty, you should come," Veronica offers.

From what Betty could sense, Archie signals something to Veronica but her mind is too preoccupied to even guess what that was all about but she did see Veronica nod from her periphery.

"So what do you say?” Archie asks her. She does remember Archie saying that he wanted to hang out but he didn't say where.

"Uh, yeah. Sure!" Betty says, even though she still had trouble recalling the details.

The school bell rings and they all leave for class.

 

*******

_**Archie** _

 

"Archie, what are planning to with Betty tonight?" Jughead asks while pretending to listen to the lecture.

Archie still felt bad. He was so stupid and selfish but he wanted to make it up to Betty. She was always there for him even when he had said that Grundy had supported her when it was Betty who actually did. He still couldn’t believe his own obliviousness.

"Dinner, maybe hang out somewhere." Archie told her, Jughead's face turning into a playful grin. "It's not what you think it is." Archie adds instantly.

"Hey, I didn’t say anything! I’m just… intrigued," Jughead says as he brushes his chin along with its imaginary beard.

"I-I just wanna make it up to her," Archie tells him. Betty has done a lot of things for him and he wants to repay her somehow. She is so important to him and he wants her to feel that he is truly apologetic.

"But didn't she forgive you already? What's this for then?" Jughead asks.

“I want her to feel special. She’s always been so loyal to me and I just want her to know that I screwed up but I get it now. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to earn her trust back,” Archie explains, feeling his cheeks heat a little.

"Hmm, I see,” Jughead replies pensively.

Archie tries to focus again on the lecture when Jughead interrupts his concentration.

“Well just don't overdo it, okay? You might get her hopes up again… like you always do," Jughead adds. His tone sounding a bit more serious than what Archie’s used to.

Archie furrows his eyebrows for what seemed like the fifth time today. What did Jughead mean by that _exactly_? And why did he think this was a good idea again?

He'll only get her hopes up—like he always does.

*******

 

Archie decided to go through with it anyway. Today was about her and making it up to her, nothing else.  He sees Betty approaching him and clears his throat.

"Let's go?" Betty asks him.

Archie didn't realize that he's been standing there beside his car, staring at Betty like an idiot.

"Uh yeah, sure," Archie says, shaking off his daze. Keep it together Andrews!

He opens the door to the passenger’s seat for Betty and, after she was settled, closes it gently. He goes inside to the driver's seat and buckles up. He starts the car and slowly maneuvers the car out of the parking lot. While on the way to Pop’s, Betty attempts to break the silence.

“So, why are you taking me to dinner again? I'm sorry that I forgot." Betty says to him, still apologetic.

"It's fine, Betty, really. And it's nothing I just...." he starts but can't quite finish. He shakes his head and continues. "I just thought that we could hang out, you know, like just the two of us. It's been a while since we hung out where it was just us." Finally, was it that hard to say?

Betty watches him intently and he starts to feel weird. He could feel his cheeks heating up so he looks away.

"Okay," Betty plainly says.

Archie only grew more nervous.

 

*******

 

"Archie, you didn't have to!" Betty says in delight as the glow of the Amusement Park land on her face. "I mean, I know you're sorry but taking me here?" Betty says, smiling. It made Archie happy seeing Betty happy. "This is too much."

"Well we never got to go here again, so I thought, why not?"

Betty only smiles endearingly at him and Archie could see tears forming in her eyes. Archie clears his throat.

"So, which ride first?"

Betty takes his hands and drags him along with her. Archie already knew where she would want to ride first and doesn’t know why he even bothered to ask.

 

*******

 

They sat across each other in the car of the Ferris Wheel, taking in the view of Riverdale. This has been a fun day, Archie thought. He could’ve easily given himself a pat on back. He looked at Betty, whose blue eyes were staring out into the distance. And he wished he could capture this very moment. Just the two of them, having fun.

"Archie," Betty says as she looks away from the glass window, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

"…why did you take me here? Be honest," Betty asks him.

"I-I just wanted to make it up to you," Archie says, his breathing becoming hard.

"For what? That night with Grundy? Archie, that was nothing. I mean, we're friends, that's what friends do. We protect each other," Betty says to him.

"Yeah, but you always seem to do that for me and I don't think I do the same thing for you. I took you here because I wanted you to feel special, and because I don't think I've done something for you to make you feel cared for like the way you care for me, and I want to make it up to you. I wanted to finally say, 'Oh hey, I'm actually a good friend to Betty and I--"

"Archie, you're rambling." Betty says to him. 

"And I don’t know why , but I always end up hurting you and it kills me to know that I have done something bad to you. I don't really get to show how much I appreciate you or how much I care about you--"

"Archie!" She had to make him stop sometime.

 "It's fine." Betty puts her hand on his lap.

"You don't have to do this okay? Your company is always enough for me. You already apologized and you should stop punishing yourself for it. Honestly Archie, it's fine. I’m fine." She offers a small smile.

He wants to hold her hand, hold her in his arms, keep her close. He wants to protect her in every way he can. He holds her hand and traces it with the pad of his thumb. He shouldn't be doing this, they were friends.

"Archie?" Betty says but Archie stays quiet.

He laces his fingers around hers. They fit so perfectly. It felt so right. Archie moved a little closer. As he did, he looked up to see if Betty would move away. Instead, she sat there like stone. Waiting for his next move. He moved again and their faces were closer this time and he could feel Betty's breath against his lips. They were so close. He looked into Betty's eyes, looking for any sign of hesitance. She only remained quiet. So close.

There was only a small gap remaining. Betty was his best friend. Does he really want to ruin that? They could date and go out but what if he only ends up hurting her again? Archie moved closer again and only an inch separating their lips and Betty still hasn't moved. He was about to ask himself again when Archie finally closed the gap by kissing Betty.

And it felt right. He didn't want to move away, it was hard not to. He could feel Betty holding his cheek with her free hand. Archie puts his free arm around her, trying to pull her closer as if they weren't close enough already. Both of them stopping to breathe only to kiss again and God, it felt like he was home.

He finally breaks away and the doors to the car finally open. They stare at each other for a long while before smiling at each other.

"I think you've made up for it," Betty says jokingly. Archie chuckles and so does she.

"I have to say, that was better than the kiss we had when we were kids."

"Marry me?" Archie asks playfully.

"Ask me again when I'm eighteen," Betty decides. They both laugh.

They step out of the car and he walked her home, their hands still linked together.

*******

 


End file.
